A long-term, emotional attachment to a party still has a significant influence on the voting decision. Although around a third of eligible voters no longer have a classic party affiliation, two-thirds do feel bound to a party, which significantly increases the probability of voting for this party in an election. At the same time, the measurement of party affinity shows that there are very few people who are indifferent to all parties. So unaffiliated people certainly have sympathies and antipathies for certain parties. In addition, people with party affiliations also have sympathies for other parties. As a result, a large proportion of eligible voters can potentially be reached by different parties. The sympathies and antipathies that go hand-in-hand are visible through the party affinity types. This results in voter potential, but also indications of the acceptance of possible coalition models.
One of the party affinity types can best be described as the "satisfied consensus citizens". This type has sympathies for the CDU, SPD and Greens and resolutely rejects the AfD. Accordingly, the satisfied consensus citizens also voted predominantly for the CDU, SPD and Greens in the 2025 Bundestag election. The satisfied consensus citizens are more satisfied with their life and with democracy than average, they are interested in politics on average and have rather balanced attitudes on issues of the welfare state, immigration and climate protection.
The "centre-left" type, on the other hand, has sympathies for the Greens, SPD and the Left and rejects the AfD even more decisively than the satisfied consensus citizens. In the 2025 Bundestag election, the centre-left voted predominantly for the Greens, SPD and the Left. The centre-left is slightly more satisfied with their lives and with democracy, but less satisfied than the satisfied consensus citizens. It is more interested in politics than any other type. With regard to the welfare state, immigration and climate protection, it holds politically left-wing positions.
The “conservative-liberal” type also clearly rejects the AfD, albeit less decisively than the other two types. The sympathies of the conservative-liberals, on the other hand, lie with the CDU, CSU and FDP. More than half of the conservative-liberals voted for the Union in the Bundestag election and the FDP was also voted for more often than average. Conservative-liberals are slightly above average satisfied with their lives. Their satisfaction with democracy and their political interest are average. On the topics of the welfare state, immigration and climate protection, they are politically easy to place to the right of centre.
In addition, there is a type that can best be described as "left-wing indifferent". The left-wing indifferent have a rather weak sympathy for the Left, SPD and BSW, are rather indifferent to the Greens and CDU and tend to reject the AfD. In the 2025 Bundestag election, the highest proportions of people who did not vote or do not provide any information can be found among the left-wing indifferent. The left-wing indifferent voted above average for the Left Party and the BSW in the Bundestag election. But the SPD, CDU and Greens were also elected. The left-wing indifferent are about averagely satisfied with their lives and with democracy but are below average and thus less interested in politics than all other types. In the dimensions of the welfare state, immigration and climate protection, they are so close to the midpoint of the scale that they can be described as indifferent rather than central.
In addition to these four types, all of whom reject the AfD to a greater or lesser extent, there is only one type with sympathy for the AfD: the “AfD affines”. They like the AfD and only the AfD. They reject the Greens, SPD, Left and CDU more strongly, FDP and CSU somewhat weaker. Unsurprisingly, 60 percent of AfD affines voted for the AfD, other parties played no role. AfD affines are by far the least satisfied with their lives and with democracy but are about averagely interested in politics. In terms of content, they position themselves politically further to the right than any other type on the topics of the welfare state, immigration and climate protection.
These and other detailed findings can be found in the full study "Parteibindung und Parteiaffinität im Vergleich – Ergebnisse aus repräsentativen Umfragen" here as a PDF. Please note, to date the study is only available in German.
